TWI675805B - Isopipe end flow dam - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for producing a glass ribbon, the apparatus comprising: a forming body including: an upper groove portion including two groove walls and a groove bottom; a lower wedge portion; a delivery end configured to receive melting Glass; and a compression end, including a plug; and an end cap, which is coupled to the compression end and extends above a top surface of the plug, wherein the height of the plug is greater than two groove walls at a point near the compression end height. This article also discloses methods for producing glass ribbons using such equipment.

Description

Flow dam end flow dam

This application claims US Provisional Application No. 62/057416, filed on September 30, 2014, the contents of this US provisional application will be incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

This disclosure relates generally to the main body of a formed glass manufacturing system, and more specifically to an overflow tank for a fusion drawing machine.

High-performance display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma displays are commonly used in various electronic devices such as cellular telephones, laptop computers, electronic flat panels, televisions, and computer monitors. Currently commercially available display devices can employ one or more high-precision glass plates, such as substrates for electronic circuit components or color filters, to name just a few applications. The leading technology for manufacturing these high-quality glass substrates is a fusion-drawing process developed by Corning Incorporated and described in, for example, US Patent Nos. 3,338,696 and 3,682,609, which are incorporated by reference Ways are all incorporated herein.

The fusion drawing process may use a fusion draw machine (FDM) including a forming body (for example, an overflow tank). Formed body may include an upper groove portion and a lower portion with a wedge-shaped cross section Section, this lower section has two main side surfaces (or shaped surfaces) that slope downward to engage at the root. During operation, the tank is filled with molten glass (e.g., a glass having a viscosity ranging from about 16,000 to about 75,000 poises), allowing the molten glass to overflow the side walls (or weirs) of the tank and flow down into two glass strips along the two forming surfaces Finally, they converge at the roots and fuse together to form a whole glass strip. Therefore, the glass ribbon may have two original outer surfaces that have not been exposed to the surface of the forming body. The strip can then be pulled down and cooled to form a glass sheet with the desired thickness and original surface quality.

During the glass forming process, molten glass can be delivered to one end of the overflow tank ("delivery end") and molten glass can be moved down the opposite end ("compressed end") along the length of the overflow tank while overflowing the weir. Formed bodies such as overflow grooves are usually constructed of refractory ceramic materials such as zircon, zirconia, alumina, and the like, which materials may have metal parts such as end caps and / or plows with overflow grooves The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) has a large variation compared to the coefficient of thermal expansion. For example, at high temperatures, platinum and platinum-containing alloys can expand about twice as much as zircon. The difference in expansion between the two materials can cause gaps to form during operation.

At operating temperatures, gaps can be formed that are large enough to allow lower viscosity glass to flow through, especially during the rinse process. Molten glass can then begin to collect in the end caps of the overflow tank. The glass collected in the end cap can be inactive and relatively stable, but if the end cap fails, it can eventually leak. For example, leaks in end caps can be caused by welding contamination and / or metal deterioration Caused by contact with certain materials, such as SiC. In some cases, excess glass volume in the end cap can cause metal swelling and apply pressure to the weld line and / or stretch the thinned area of the end cap. Swelling of the end cap can also cause the end cap to contact the structure surrounding the forming body, thereby forming a hole in the end cap. Excessive glass volume in the end cap can also force the end cap to completely slip off the forming body or overflow channel.

The glass leaking from the end cap on the compression end can flow down into the rest of the process, for example, behind the edge guide at the edge of the main glass flow, and in this technical field this is called "glass paste ball ( gob). " The glass paste ball can be collected within the size of the edge roller below the root of the overflow tank and can be disturbed by the pulling action. The glass paste ball can also fall off and cause the glass sheet to be sandwiched between the glass and the lower roller, which can cause significant glass breakage. In addition, depending on the rate at which the glass flow enters the end cap and the subsequent flow rate from leaks in the end cap, early repair of the shaped body or surrounding equipment may be required.

The amount of glass collected in the end cap can depend on various factors, such as the amount of time the glass is in a low viscosity state (e.g., less than about 35,000 poise), the tightness of the end cap fit, the depth of the overflow groove, the weir angle (after the mechanism Or it can change downward with the process) and / or process temperature (which can affect the expansion difference between materials). For example, the end cap may not be attached or sealed to the overflow trough except by a tight mechanical fit. Therefore, a slot of up to about 0.04 cm (0.015 ") can exist between the end cap and the overflow slot. Molten glass with a viscosity of less than about 35,000 poise can flow through the 0.04 cm slot. In addition, since the weir self-delivery end To the compression end gradually deviates by a constant angle (for example, 6 degree angle), the top surface of the overflow groove at the end cap area may be below the top liquid level of the glass at the compressed end. This can provide additional pressure to the glass to flow through the gap or slot. Once the glass flows through the gap or slot, the glass can flow into the end cap and overflow the ends of the overflow groove, causing one or more of the disadvantages discussed above.

Previous attempts to limit equipment damage, production loss, and / or glass damage caused by glass paste balls have included embodiments of glass paste collection devices within manufacturing systems. However, glass paste ball collection can disrupt operating parameters such as thermal and / or mass balance, especially in the case of glass forming processes for thin (eg, less than about 0.3 mm) glass sheets. For example, the frequency of rinsing can be increased to compensate for glass transition and / or liquidus shift issues in high precision glass. Processes that use longer and / or more frequent flushes can suffer from increased frequency and / or leakage of glass. Therefore, thermal shock caused by the use of conventional methods to collect and remove a large amount of end mass can be detrimental to the glass forming process.

With the increasing requirements for size and image quality, consumer demand for high-performance displays drives the need for improved manufacturing processes for producing high-quality, high-precision glass plates. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for forming glass strips and glass plates that can minimize glass defects and / or breakages and reduce equipment damage and process instability. In various embodiments, the methods and equipment disclosed herein can minimize glass flow entering the end cap and overflowing the compressed end of the forming body, and the formation of glass paste balls, thereby minimizing or preventing production losses and equipment damage.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for producing a glass strip, the apparatus comprising: a forming body including: an upper groove portion including two groove walls and a groove bottom; a lower wedge portion; a delivery end configured to receive melting Glass; and a compression end including a plug; and an end cap coupled to the compression end and extending above a top surface of the plug, wherein the height of the plug is greater than the height of the two groove walls at a point near the compression end. This article also discloses a fusion drawing machine including such a shaped main body equipment.

This article further discloses a method for producing a glass ribbon, the method comprising: melting a batch to form molten glass and introducing the molten glass into an apparatus including a forming body, the forming body comprising: an upper groove portion including two groove walls and Bottom of the trough; lower wedge-shaped portion containing two opposite outer surfaces converging at the root; a delivery end configured to receive molten glass; and a compression end including a plug; and an end cap coupled to the compression end and in the plug The top surface of the head extends above, wherein the height of the plug is greater than the height of the two groove walls at a point near the compressed end.

In various embodiments, the shaped body may include a refractory material selected from the group consisting of zircon, zirconia, alumina, magnesia, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, and combinations thereof. According to some embodiments, the shaped body device may further include a shunt, disposed near the plug and attached to the end cap. In some embodiments, the end cap and / or the shunt may include a precious metal, such as platinum or a platinum-containing alloy, and the end cap and the shunt may be welded together. According to a further embodiment, the forming main body device may include: an auxiliary filling sheet disposed between the plug and the diverter; and / or a yoke disposed on the surface of the end cap. On top. In various non-limiting embodiments, the plug may have a height that is greater than the height of the molten glass at the compressed end.

In the following detailed description, additional features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained, and some of the features and advantages will be apparent from their description to those skilled in the art or by implementing this document (including the subsequent detailed description, patent application) The scope and methods described in the accompanying drawings are recognized.

It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments of the present disclosure, and are intended to provide an overview or framework in order to understand the nature and characteristics of the scope of patent application. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operation of the disclosure.

100‧‧‧formed body

101‧‧‧Inlet pipe / Inlet

102‧‧‧ Upper trough section

103‧‧‧slot

104‧‧‧Lower wedge

105‧‧‧End cap / end plate

105a‧‧‧Part I

105b‧‧‧Part II

107‧‧‧Formed surface

109‧‧‧root

111‧‧‧ glass strip

113‧‧‧ Direction

121a‧‧‧Inner surface

121b‧‧‧Inner surface

123‧‧‧Slot bottom

125a‧‧‧Slot wall / weir

125b‧‧‧Slot wall / weir

127a‧‧‧outer surface

127b‧‧‧outer surface

129a‧‧‧outer surface

129b‧‧‧outer surface

131‧‧‧ Diversion pieces

133‧‧‧Ventilation pipe

135‧‧‧Distribution

137‧‧‧Compression side

139‧‧‧Compression side

141‧‧‧Yoke

205‧‧‧End cap

205a‧‧‧Part I

205b‧‧‧Part II

225a‧‧‧Side wall

225b‧‧‧Side wall

231‧‧‧ Diversion pieces

233‧‧‧Ventilation pipe

237‧‧‧Compression

241‧‧‧Yoke

243‧‧‧plug / dam

243a‧‧‧Top surface

243c‧‧‧Inner surface

245‧‧‧ Filler

247‧‧‧Auxiliary tablet

300‧‧‧ Glass Manufacturing System

304‧‧‧glass strip

310‧‧‧melt container

312‧‧‧arrow

314‧‧‧ molten glass

315‧‧‧melted to clarified tube

320‧‧‧clarification container

325‧‧‧Clarification to the connection tube of the stirring chamber

327‧‧‧ Level Probe Standpipe

330‧‧‧Agitating chamber

335‧‧‧Stirring chamber to bowl connection tube

340‧‧‧Bowl trough

345‧‧‧ Downcomer

350‧‧‧FDM

355‧‧‧ entrance

360‧‧‧forming body equipment

365‧‧‧Pull roller assembly

The following detailed description is well understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, in which the same component symbols are used to represent the same structure as much as possible and in these drawings: Figure 1 is an exemplary fusion drawing for manufacturing glass ribbons the diagram of an exemplary forming body used in the manufacturing process; a second schematic view showing a cross-sectional end view illustrating a first shaped body of the FIG.; FIG. 3 based on a cross-sectional side view of an end of the molded body of the compressor; 4 Figure 5 is a side view of an exemplary end cap; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary shaped body; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the compressed end of the shaped body of Figure 5; Figure 7 is based on this disclosure FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the compression end of the forming main body device of FIG . 7; FIG. 9A to FIG. 9B depict the An internal view of the compression end of the forming body apparatus of the embodiment; and FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary glass manufacturing system.

device

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for producing a glass ribbon, the apparatus comprising: a forming body comprising: an upper channel portion including two channel walls and a channel bottom; a lower wedge portion; a delivery end configured to receive molten glass; and The compression end includes a plug; and an end cap is coupled to the compression end and extends above the top surface of the plug, wherein the height of the plug is greater than the height of the two groove walls at a point near the compression end. This article also discloses a fusion drawing machine including such a shaped main body equipment.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be discussed with reference to FIGS. 1 to 2 , both of which depict exemplary shaped bodies (eg, overflow channels) in an exemplary glass manufacturing process suitable for producing glass ribbons. Referring to FIG. 1 , during a glass manufacturing process, such as a fusion drawing process, molten glass may be introduced into the forming body 100 including the tank 103 via the inlet pipe 101 . Once the groove 103 is filled, the molten glass can overflow the sides of the groove and flow down along two opposing shaped surfaces 107 , and then fuse together at the root 109 to form a glass strip 111 . The glass ribbon may then be pulled down in direction 113 using, for example, a roller assembly (not shown) and the glass ribbon is further processed to form a glass plate. The shaped body assembly may further include auxiliary components such as an end cap 105 and / or an edge guide (not shown).

Figure 2 provides a cross-sectional view of the shaped body assembly of Figure 1 , wherein the shaped body 100 may include an upper groove portion 102 and a lower wedge portion 104 . The upper trough portion 102 may include a channel or trough 103 configured to receive molten glass. The groove 103 may be defined by two groove walls (or weirs) 125a , 125b including the inner surfaces 121a , 121b and a groove bottom 123 . Although the grooves are depicted as having a rectangular cross section with the inner surface forming an angle of about 90 degrees with the groove bottom, other groove cross sections and other angles between the inner surface and the groove bottom should be envisaged. The weirs 125a and 125b may further include outer surfaces 127a and 127b . The outer surfaces 127a and 127b together with the wedge outer surfaces 129a and 129b may form two opposing forming surfaces 107 . The molten glass can overflow the weirs 125a , 125b and flow down the forming surface 107 into two glass strips, which can then be fused together at the root 109 to form an integral glass strip 111 . The strip may then be pulled down in direction 113 , and in some embodiments, the strip is further processed to form a glass plate.

The shaped body 100 may include any material suitable for use in glass manufacturing processes, such as refractory materials such as zircon, zirconia, alumina, magnesium oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, and combinations thereof. According to various embodiments, the shaped body may include a monolithic sheet (eg, one sheet made from a single source mechanism). In other embodiments, the shaped body may include two or more sheets that are glued, fused, attached, or otherwise coupled together. For example, the slot-shaped portion and the wedge-shaped portion may be two pieces containing the same or different materials. Individual sheets. The dimensions of the shaped body (to name a few, including length, groove depth and width, and wedge height and width) can vary depending on the desired application. Those skilled in the art will be able to select these sizes for a particular manufacturing process or system.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 , an exemplary forming main body apparatus may be equipped with a diverter 131 disposed on the tank bottom 123 . In some embodiments, the diverter (e.g., a plow) may be generally wedge-shaped, with the width spanning the distance between the inner walls of the slot. The shunt can include any material suitable for use in glass manufacturing processes, including but not limited to precious metals such as platinum and platinum-containing alloys. The shaped body device may further include an end cap 105 to which the shunt may be welded. The end cap may also contain a precious metal, which may be the same or different from the material used to construct the shunt. The end cap may further include at least one ventilation tube 133 that may allow air to escape the end cap when filled with glass. According to the design of each forming body, the at least one counterweight can also be used to hold the shunt in place, and the counterweight can be placed in or on the shunt. The counterweight may include any material suitable for use in a glass manufacturing process, such as a refractory material (e.g., zircon) such as described above with respect to a shaped body. The diverter may also include additional components, such as a distribution member 135 , for distributing the glass over the two tank walls in a substantially uniform manner.

In some embodiments, the groove bottom 123 may be gradually inclined from the delivery end (not shown) to the compression end 139 relative to the horizontal axis X of the forming body by an angle θ ₁ . For example, the angle can range from about 1 ° to about 3 °, such as from 1.25 ° to about 2.5 °, from about 1.5 ° to about 2.25 °, or from about 1.75 ° to about 2 °, inclusive. All ranges and subranges. Thus, in some embodiments, the depth of the groove at the delivery end may be greater than the depth of the groove at the compression end. The groove depth can also vary linearly or non-linearly along the length of the overflow groove.

The shunt may provide additional contours on the bottom of the groove, the additional contours having a bevel of an angle Θ ₂ ranging from, for example, about 2 ° to about 4 °, such as from about 2.5 ° to about 3.75 °, from about 2.75 ° to About 3.5 ° or from about 3 ° to about 3.25 °, including all ranges and subranges between the two. Groove wall 125a (125b not shown) may be similarly shaped with respect to a horizontal axis X from the delivery end of the main body (not shown) to the end of the skew angle 137 is gradually compressed Θ ₃ (e.g., the angle of weir). For example, the angle can range from about 4 ° to about 8 °, such as from 4.5 ° to about 7 °, from about 5 ° to about 6.5 °, or from about 5.5 ° to about 6 °, inclusive. All ranges and subranges. According to some embodiments, the side of the groove is deflected by an angle of about 6 ° with respect to the axis X.

The end cap 105 may be coupled to the compression end 137 (discussed in more detail below with respect to Figure 6A ), such as a press fit and / or wrapping around the compression end to form a tight mechanical fit. Thus, the shaped body device may include a region z having a length L and a substantially flat surface on which the substantially flat surface may be pressed or clad or otherwise coupled to an end cap material (eg, platinum). According to each of these embodiments, the length L of the region z may range from about 1 cm to about 15 cm, such as from about 2 cm to about 12 cm, from about 3 cm to about 10 cm, from about 4 cm to about 9 cm, from about 5 cm to about 8 cm, or From about 6 cm to about 7 cm, including all ranges and subranges between the two. In other embodiments, the area z may be positioned at an angle (eg, Θ ₃ ) with respect to the horizontal axis X.

In some embodiments, the region z may start at the intersection of the weir angle Θ ₃ and the groove bottom angle Θ ₁ . In addition, the region z may continue to gradually deviate by an angle similar to or the same as the weir angle Θ ₃ , for example, the groove bottom and the groove side may have substantially the same height, thereby forming a substantially flat surface that can be coupled to the end cap 105 (may Is the angle Θ ₃ ). Therefore, the end cap 105 may include a first portion 105a in contact with the surface of the region z and a second portion 105b extending vertically, and the shunt 131 may be welded or otherwise attached to this second portion. Although the second portion 105b is depicted as a horizontal axis X with respect to angle of 90 °, it is to be understood that this section with respect to the axis X or the angle Θ ₁ with respect to the groove bottom extending vertically at any angle.

As previously discussed, although the end cap may be coupled to the compression end and the end cap may thus be in physical contact with the shaped body, the end cap may not be sealed or otherwise attached to the shaped body. Therefore, there may be a gap between the end cap and the forming body, and the gap may be about 0.04cm, such as about 0.038cm, 0.035cm, 0.03cm, 0.025cm, 0.02cm, 0.015cm, or 0.01cm, including all between the two Scope and subrange. In addition, as the temperature increases, the expansion of the end cap material (e.g., platinum) can be greater than that of the shaped body material (e.g., zircon), which in various embodiments can cause any gap between the end cap and the shaped body The size increases.

Figure 4 depicts a slightly oblique side view of an end cap coupled to the compression end of an exemplary shaped body. This view provides an additional perspective on the possible fit of the end cap on the compression end. As depicted in the illustrated embodiment, the end cap 105 can be imagined as being tightly wrapped around and conforming to the shape of the compressed end. The first portion 105a extends over a portion of the compression end (for example, the top surface and the side surface (unlabeled) of the compression end). The first part may provide a press-fit or mechanical coupling with the shaped body. The second portion 105b extends radially from the shaped body, such as extending vertically from the top surface of the shaped body and horizontally from the side surface of the shaped body. The second part may provide a platform to which a shunt or other component (not shown) can be attached. Thus, although the cross-sectional view from FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 to FIG. 7 provided in the not visible, but the end cap 205 may extend radially in all directions, for example, a vertical surface extending from the top, from the side surface (e.g. , Side of the groove) extend horizontally and so on. The end cap material extending radially in this manner can form any angle (eg, about 90 ° angle) with the surface at which the extension begins, as depicted in FIG. 4 .

Figure 5 depicts a cross-sectional side view of another exemplary shaped body. The shaped body 100 may include a delivery end 139 which may include an inlet 101 through which glass may flow in direction F. Similar to the shaped body depicted in FIG. 3 , the compression end 137 may include a shunt member 131 , which may include a distribution member 135 and may be welded to an end plate 105 , which may include a ventilation pipe 133 . In addition, the end cap 105 can be pressed by a yoke 141 , which can include any material suitable for use in glass manufacturing processes (for example, refractory materials such as zircon). As shown in FIG. 6, FIG. FIG. 6 provides the compression end of 5137 more detailed view of the yoke member 141 may rest on a first end portion 105a of the cap, or otherwise physically contact the first portion and may abut or The second portion 105b of the end cap is physically contacted in other ways. In some embodiments, the yoke 141 may also abut or physically contact the ventilation pipe 133 . Further, as depicted in FIG. 6 , in various embodiments, the yoke 141 may have a height h ₁ such that the yoke is higher than the glass level G at the compression end 137 of the forming body.

Due to the height of the yoke 141 , in this shaped body design, the glass may not overflow the top of the compressed end of the shaped body. However, this design still relies on the mechanical strength of the end cap to catch and hold any leaked glass without solving the problem of the liquid flow into the end cap itself. As discussed above, if the mechanical strength of the end cap is impaired (e.g., formation of leaks or holes), there may be numerous subsequent glass flow ("glass paste balls") passing through the end cap and down into the main glass flow Disadvantages.

FIG. 7 depicts an alternative design for forming the compression end 237 of the main body device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated non-limiting design, the shaped body may include a plug or dam 243 having a height h ₂ such that the plug is higher than the glass level G at the compression end 237 . In various embodiments, the height h _{2 of the} plug may be greater than the height of the groove wall (not labeled) at the compression end (eg, a bit near the compression end 237 ). According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the height h _{2 of the} plug may range from 5 cm to about 15 cm, such as from about 6 cm to about 12 cm, from about 7 cm to about 10 cm, or from about 8 cm to about 9 cm, inclusive. All ranges and subranges. Thus, the end cap 205 may extend around the compression end 237, such as at least as illustrated in FIG. 7 of the upper portion of the top surface of the plug 243 extends. In various embodiments, an end cap 205 can be disposed between the plug 243 and the yoke 241 , which can rest on the surface of the end cap or otherwise physically contact this surface, such as the end cap's Partial contact with the plug. As shown in FIGS . 5 to 6 , the end cap 205 may further include at least one ventilation pipe 233 .

The surface of the plug 243 is depicted and marked in FIG. 8 . As shown, the plug 243 may be mechanically or otherwise shaped to have at least one surface having a radius of curvature. The top surface 243a may, for example, have a radius of curvature, such as rounding of edges or corners at a radius of curvature of about 0.5 cm or less. In an additional embodiment, the top surface 243a may also be disposed at an angle Θ ₄ with respect to the horizontal axis X of the forming main device. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, this angle θ ₄ may range from 0 ° to about 10 ° and / or θ ₄ may be similar or equal to the weir angle (see θ _{3 in} FIG . ₃ ). Therefore, in a non-limiting embodiment, the top surface 243a may be disposed at an angle, the angle ranging from about 4 ° to about 8 °, such as about 6 °. One or more corners or edges of the outer surface 243b may also be similarly mechanismd to have a radius of curvature. The outer surface 243b may be the terminal of the shaped body and may also be in physical contact with the end cap (not shown).

In addition, the inner surface 243c of the plug can be a non-planar surface as depicted in FIG . The inner surface 243c may constitute the inner surface (not labeled) of the groove. The radius of curvature r of the inner surface 243c may vary as desired for a particular application (e.g., to minimize stress build-up), and in some embodiments, the radius of curvature r may range from about 1 cm to about 3 cm, such as from about 1.5 cm Up to about 2 cm, including all ranges and subranges between the two numbers. Of course, although the respective surfaces of the plug in FIG. 7 to FIG. 8 will be depicted as disposed at various angles in any combination, and / or having various curvatures, it is to be understood that the optionally use of such features. For example, the plug may be mechanically or otherwise shaped to have only a planar surface (e.g., a rectangular or square plug), but such embodiments may have increased stress compared to a plug with a non-planar surface The manufacturing cost of the point and / or production of the shaped body can be higher.

Referring back to FIG. 7 , in the case of a non-planar internal plug surface (unlabeled), one or more auxiliary filling pieces 245 may be used to fill the surface which may otherwise be formed between the radius of curvature and the shunt 231 . Cavity. These filler pieces 245 may be machined by a sheet of independent refractory material (eg, zircon), and the filler pieces are then joined or otherwise coupled to the shaped body adjacent to the plug 243 . Similarly, although the shaped body including the plug 243 is illustrated as a unitary body (e.g., by a single piece of material mechanism), the plug may also be made of a separate refractory sheet material mechanism and then joined or otherwise attached to The compressed end of the shaped body. In additional embodiments, the material forming the fill sheet or end sheet may include a material that does not react with platinum (or other metals) to minimize the risk of leakage of any glass in the end cap. In these embodiments, for example, a second end cap may be installed adjacent to and outside the metal end cap, the second end cap containing, for example, a material similar to or the same as the material used to construct the overflow groove Refractory material, and the second end cap can further support the metal of the end cap and limit the ability of the end cap to bulge outward and collect glass.

The end cap 205 may be coupled to a compression end, which includes a plug 243 , for example, the first portion 205a may be around various plug surfaces, such as a plug outer surface, a top surface, and / or a side surface (not labeled) Or extend across the various plug surfaces, and the second portion 205b may extend radially from various surfaces of the forming body, such as extending vertically from the top surface of the plug and horizontally from the groove side surface. The diverter or plow 231 may be attached at least partially to the end cap 205 . For example, the shunt 231 may be welded to the second portion 205b of the end cap. Various configurations and methods can be used to attach (or weld) the shunt to the end cap. It is noted that, as depicted in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, the end cap 205 (e.g., the second portion 205b) can not cover the inner surface of the plug 243 (not labeled). However, in various embodiments, the diverter may have the same height as or shorter than the plug. Accordingly, the auxiliary plate 247 may be welded to one or more surfaces of the end cap 205 such that the plate extends downward to cover at least a portion of the inner surface of the plug. The shunt 243 may then be welded to the auxiliary plate 247 and thus attached to the end cap 205 . The auxiliary plate may be constructed of any suitable material, for example, a precious metal such as platinum or a platinum-containing alloy. Of course, in other embodiments, the shunt may have one or more dimensions that allow for direct attachment or welding to the end plate.

Figures 9A to 9B provide internal perspective views of the compression end of a shaped body device according to the present disclosure. In Figure 9A , the second portion 205b of the end plug is visible, and a yoke 241 is placed on top of the first portion (not visible) of the end cap. The inner surface 243c of the plug is visible and not covered by the end cap material. The top (unlabeled) of the plug is in contact with the first part of the end cap and is disposed above the height of the groove side walls 225a , 225b . In Fig. 9B , the inner surface of the plug is not visible and is covered by the auxiliary plate 247 . The shunt or other component (not shown) may then be welded or otherwise attached to the auxiliary plate 247 . Of course, as discussed above, other configurations and methods of attaching the shunt to the end cap are possible, and the depicted embodiment should not be viewed as limiting the scope of the accompanying patent application. Additional embodiments may provide exemplary overflow troughs having certain dimensions of weirs and troughs that match a predetermined length behind the plough to minimize glass flow into the respective end caps.

method

This article discloses a method for producing a glass ribbon, which method comprises: melting a batch to form molten glass and introducing the molten glass into an apparatus including a forming body, the forming body comprising: an upper groove portion including two groove walls and a groove bottom A lower wedge-shaped portion containing two opposite outer surfaces converging at the root; a delivery end configured to receive molten glass; and a compression end including a plug; and an end cap coupled to the compression end and in the plug. Extending above the top surface, the height of the plug is greater than the height of the two groove walls at a point near the compressed end.

An embodiment of the present disclosure will be discussed with reference to FIG . 10, which depicts an exemplary glass manufacturing system 300 for producing a glass ribbon 304 . The glass manufacturing system 300 may include a melting container 310 , a melting to clarification tube 315 , a clarification container (e.g., clarification tube) 320 , a clarification to a stirring chamber connection tube 325 (with a level probe riser 327 extending therefrom), agitation Chamber (e.g., mixing container) 330 , agitating chamber to bowl connection tube 335 , bowl (e.g., delivery container) 340 , downcomer 345, and FDM 350 , which FDM may include inlet 355 , shaped body (e.g., Overflow groove) 360 and pulling roller assembly 365 .

Glass batches may be introduced into the melting vessel 310 as shown by arrow 312 to form molten glass 314 . The clarification vessel 320 is connected to the melting vessel 310 by melting to the clarification pipe 315 . The clarification vessel 320 may have a high-temperature processing area that receives molten glass from the melting vessel 310 and removes bubbles from the molten glass. The clarification container 320 is connected to the stirring chamber 330 by a clarification to stirring chamber connection pipe 325 . The stirring chamber 330 is connected to the bowl 340 by a stirring chamber to bowl connecting pipe 335 . The bowl 340 can deliver molten glass through the downcomer 345 into the FDM 350 .

The FDM 350 may include an inlet 355 , a forming body 360, and a pulling roller assembly 365 . The inlet 355 can receive molten glass from the downcomer 345 , and the molten glass can flow from the inlet to the forming main device 360 , and is formed into a glass ribbon 304 in the forming main device 360 . Various embodiments of the forming main body device 360 are further described above, for example, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 . The pulling roller assembly 365 may deliver a drawn glass ribbon 304 for further processing by additional optional equipment. For example, the glass ribbon may be further processed by a traveling anvil machine (TAM), which may include a mechanical scoring device for scoring the glass ribbon. Scratched glass can then be separated into several glass plates using various methods and device mechanisms known in the art, grinding, chemical strengthening, and / or other surface treatments (eg, etching).

The term "batch" and variations thereof are used herein to refer to a mixture of glass precursor components that react and / or combine to form glass after melting. Glass batches can be prepared and / or mixed by any known method of combining glass precursor materials. For example, in certain non-limiting embodiments The glass batch may comprise a dry or substantially dry mixture of glass precursor particles (eg, without any solvent or liquid). In other embodiments, the glass batch may be in the form of a slurry, such as a mixture of glass precursor particles in the presence of a liquid or solvent.

According to various embodiments, the batch may include glass precursor materials such as silica, alumina, and various additional oxides such as boron oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, sodium oxide, strontium oxide, tin oxide, or titanium oxide. For example, the glass batch may be a mixture of silica and / or alumina with one or more additional oxides. In various embodiments, the glass batch comprises a total of from about 45% to about 95% by weight of alumina and / or silica and a total of from about 5% to about 55% by weight of boron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, At least one oxide of strontium, tin and / or titanium.

The batch can be melted according to any method known in the art including methods discussed herein with reference to FIG. 10 . For example, a batch can be added to a melting vessel and heated to a temperature ranging from about 1100 ° C to about 1700 ° C, such as from about 1200 ° C to about 1650 ° C, from about 1250 ° C to about 1600 ° C, from about 1300 ° C to about 1550 ° C, from about 1350 ° C to about 1500 ° C, or from about 1400 ° C to about 1450 ° C, including all ranges and subranges between the two. In some embodiments, the batch may have a residence time in the melting vessel, which residence time varies from minutes to hours depending on various variables such as operating temperature and batch size. For example, the residence time can range from about 30 minutes to about 8 hours, from about 1 hour to about 6 hours, from about 2 hours to about 5 hours, or from about 3 hours to about 4 hours, inclusive. All ranges and subranges.

Molten glass can then undergo various additional processing steps, including clarification to remove air bubbles and stirring to homogenize the molten glass, to name a few. Molten glass can then be processed using the shaped body equipment disclosed herein to produce glass ribbons. For example, as discussed above, molten glass may be introduced into the grooved portion of the shaped body at the delivery end via one or more inlets. The glass can flow in the direction from the delivery end to the compression end, overflowing the two groove walls and flowing down the two opposite outer surfaces of the wedge-shaped portion, thereby converging at the root to form an integral glass strip.

By way of non-limiting example, the shaped body device can be enclosed in a container operating at a temperature at the hottest point (e.g., in the upper "muffle" area near the trough portion), at which temperature The range is from about 1100 ° C to about 1350 ° C, such as from about 1150 ° C to about 1325 ° C, from about 1150 ° C to about 1300 ° C, from about 1175 ° C to about 1250 ° C or from about 1200 ° C to about 1225 ° C, inclusive of two All ranges and subranges between numbers. At the coldest point (for example, in the lower "transition" area near the root of the forming body), the container can be operated at a temperature ranging from about 800 ° C to about 1250 ° C, such as from about 850 ° C to About 1225 ° C, from about 900 ° C to about 1200 ° C, from about 950 ° C to about 1150 ° C, or from about 1000 ° C to about 1100 ° C, including all ranges and subranges between the two.

The methods and apparatus disclosed herein may provide one or more advantages over prior art shaped body components. In some embodiments, the devices disclosed herein can reduce or eliminate glass paste balls caused by glass leaking into and out of the end caps on the compression end. The glass paste ball can be reduced by reducing the drop The rubicon amount of glass paste balls into the process stream is used to improve yield. In addition, when the glass paste ball becomes larger, the local thermodynamics of the system can be changed so that there is a temperature difference between the presence of the glass paste ball and the absence of the glass paste ball. Therefore, eliminating or reducing glass paste ball formation can improve the thermodynamic stability of glass manufacturing systems employing the disclosed equipment. In addition, by reducing the glass flow at the overflow compression end, the disclosed device can improve or increase the glass flow at the side of the groove near the overflow compression end, which may improve the glass strip uniformity and / or reduce material waste. Finally, since the method and apparatus of the present invention can reduce or eliminate the glass flow into the end cap and therefore reduce or eliminate any subsequent damage to the end cap due to excess glass volume, the damage to the forming body equipment and surrounding equipment can be minimized and the use of Improved manufacturing speed and efficiency by repairing process downtime. Of course, it should be understood that the methods and devices disclosed herein may not have one or more of the above advantages, but such methods and devices are intended to fall within the scope of the accompanying patent applications.

It should be understood that each disclosed embodiment may involve a particular feature, element, or step described in connection with that particular embodiment. It should also be understood that, although described with respect to a particular embodiment, particular features, elements or steps may be interchanged in various unspecified combinations or permutations or combined with alternative embodiments.

It should also be understood that, unless the contrary is clearly indicated, the terms "the" and "an" as used herein mean "at least one" and should not be limited to "only one". Thus, for example, a reference to "a component" includes instances having two or more such components, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value and / or to "about" another particular value. When expressing this range, examples include from one particular value and / or to another particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximate values, by using the antecedent "about", it should be understood that a particular value forms another aspect. It should be further understood that the endpoints of each of these ranges are obviously related to and independent of the other endpoint.

As used herein, the terms "substance", "substance" and variations thereof are intended to indicate that the described feature is equal to or approximately equal to a value or description. Furthermore, "substantially similar" is intended to mean two values that are equal or approximately equal. In some embodiments, "substantially similar" may mean that the values are within about 10% of each other, such as within about 5% of each other or within about 2% of each other.

Except where expressly stated otherwise, it is not intended that any method described herein be considered a step in which the methods must be performed in a particular order. Therefore, in the case where the method claim does not actually describe the order in which the steps will be followed, or in the scope or description of the patent application, the steps are not specifically stated otherwise. These steps are limited to a specific order, and no specific order is intended to be inferred.

Although the transitional term "comprising" may be used to reveal features, elements or steps of a particular embodiment, it should be understood that implicit alternative embodiments, including the use of the transitional term "consisting of" or "consisting essentially of ..." "Described in the alternative embodiment. Thus, for example, an implicit alternative embodiment of a device containing A + B + C includes an embodiment of a device consisting of A + B + C and an embodiment of a device consisting essentially of A + B + C.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can be implemented without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Various modifications and changes. As those skilled in the art can think of modified combinations, sub-combinations, and changes of the disclosed embodiments that contain the spirit and essence of the present disclosure, the present disclosure should be regarded as including the scope of the accompanying patent application and its equivalent all.

Claims (20)

An apparatus for producing a glass ribbon, the apparatus comprising: a forming body including: an upper groove portion including two groove walls and a groove bottom; a lower wedge portion; and a delivery end configured to receive Molten glass; and a compression end including a plug; and a cap coupled to the compression end and extending above a top surface of the plug, wherein a height of one of the plugs is greater than that of the two groove walls. A height near the compressed end. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the forming body further comprises: a diverter, attached to the end cap and disposed on the bottom of the groove near the plug. The device according to claim 2, wherein the end cap and the shunt include a precious metal, and wherein the shunt is welded to the end cap. The device according to claim 2, wherein the shunt is attached to an auxiliary plate and the auxiliary plate is attached to the end cap. The device according to claim 2, further comprising an auxiliary filling sheet disposed between the plug and the diverter. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a yoke placed on top of a portion of the end cap extending above the top surface of the plug. The device according to claim 1, wherein the plug has a height greater than a height of the molten glass at the compression end. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a height of one of the two groove walls is inclined at a constant angle from the delivery end to the compression end with respect to a horizontal axis of the forming body. The device according to claim 2, wherein a dimension of the two groove walls and a dimension of the groove bottom substantially match along a predetermined length of the shaped body between the diverter and the end cap. The device according to claim 1, wherein a depth of the upper groove portion varies from the delivery end to the compression end in a linear or non-linear manner. The device according to claim 1, wherein a first depth of the upper groove portion at the delivery end is greater than a second depth of the upper groove portion at the compression end. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a second end cap coupled to the end cap, the second end cap comprising a refractory material. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shaped body comprises a refractory material selected from the group consisting of zircon, zirconia, alumina, magnesia, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, and combinations thereof. A fusion drawing machine comprising the device according to claim 1. A method for producing a glass ribbon, the method comprising the steps of: melting a batch to form molten glass; and introducing the molten glass into a device, the device including: a forming body including: an upper trough shape A portion including two groove walls and a groove bottom; a lower wedge portion including two opposite outer surfaces converging at one portion; a delivery end configured to receive the molten glass; and a compression end including a plug A head; and an end cap coupled to the compression end and extending above a top surface of the plug, wherein a height of the plug is greater than a height of the two groove walls at a point near the compression end. The method of claim 15, wherein the molten glass is introduced into the upper groove portion of the shaped body and the molten glass flows from the delivery end to the compression end, thereby overflowing the two groove walls, and along the The two opposite outer surfaces of the lower wedge portion flow down so as to converge at the root to form an integral glass strip. The method according to claim 15, wherein the shaped body further comprises: a diverter attached to the end cap and disposed on the bottom of the groove near the plug. The method of claim 17, wherein the end cap and the shunt include a precious metal, and wherein the shunt is welded to the end cap. The method according to claim 17, wherein the shunt is attached to an auxiliary plate, and the auxiliary plate is attached to the end cap. The method of claim 15, wherein the plug has a height greater than a height of the molten glass at the compression end.